Heretofore technicians and professionals in many fields have been forced to rely upon memory for converting from one measurement system to another and their knowledge of various mathematical processes. In the medical profession it has been necessary to convert dosages from one measurement system to another, to determine pulse rates for a standard unit of time, etc. The present invention eliminates guess work by use of a small computer-calculator which places in the hands of the medical profession an on the spot means for providing accurate information through conversion programs and specifically medically oriented function and numerical value selection circuits.
The prior art devices disclose calculators adapted to various specific uses but none that can provide the variety of information of the instant invention or specifically adapt to information useful to the medical profession.
Examples of prior art devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,100,602 which converts a quantitative item in a recipe to the fraction required based on the servings desired relative to servings provided for by the recipt. To obtain the desired information on the display requires six entries for the first item and four entries for each additional item. No medical application is apparently anticipated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,101,071 discloses a calculator to determine the rate of timing total calories burned in relation to the pulse rate. It does not relate to the present invention and is limited to giving the burn rate or total calories burned.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,228,516 is related to a system for converting English to metric units and vice versa with an input and output display. It appears not to recognize the problem solved by the device of this application and it appears largely concerned with the device for selecting conversion factors.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,290,113 is concerned with a minicomputer for conversion from common units into SI units in response to factor selection based upon a letter code for types of material commonly used in medicine and related fields. The minicomputer is also capable of performing conventional mathematical functions.
As will be seen from the subsequent description of the invention the prior art does not disclose the function or the structure essential to the invention herein disclosed and claimed.